Saturday, November 10, 2018

The saints who make us who we are, November 11, 2018

The saints who make us who we are,
November 11, 2018

Do United Methodists really believe in saints? Well, these are real people so it is not a matter of believing in them or not believing in them, but how we define them.
We don’t worship or venerate saints. In  Article 14 of our articles of Religion John Wesley wrote “The Romish doctrine concerning …worshiping, and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but repugnant to the Word of God.”
Given that, you might ask, why I am having a month of saints?!

That’s a fair question but it has to do with how define saints. I am defining saints different than our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters.
In the Roman Catholic tradition becoming a saint is usually a long drawn out process. In an over simplified version it in includes  a petition by the people, a nomination by a bishop, an investigation by the Vatican which includes and a “promoter of the faith” also known as a devil’s advocate who tries to find the non saint-like behavior of the person.  There are three stages declaring them venerable, beatifying, and then canonizing them in to sainthood.  Between the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches there are over 10,000 saints.
United Methodists don’t do that. The closest we have come is naming our churches after saints, and in 2012 declaring Dietrich Bonheoffer and Martin Luther King Jr. as Martyrs (someone who willingly died for their faith.)
That is not what I am talking about. In our United Methodist circles, a saint can be any of God’s people who LIVE THEIR LIVES AFTER THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. They might be living or dead.  Last week we named saints who died in the last year and talked about the saints of this church on whose shoulders we stand.
While John Wesley spoke harshly of the veneration of saints, he recommended the study of the lives of saints because there is much to be learned from them.  That’s what I want to do for the next couple of weeks. I want to talk about some of the people who help me to live my life more like Christ. And I want to help you to reflect on the saints in your life. 
WHO DO YOU LOOK TO AS AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH?
WHO ENCOURAGES YOU IN THE FAITH?
AND WHO, BY THE EXAMPLE OF THEIR FAITH, HELPS YOU TO HOPE FOR A BETTER TOMORROW?

This week I have chosen 4 of my saints from various historical periods who have shaped my faith. Who would you put on your personal list?

 I start with Abraham.
Before God appeared to him Abraham was a pagan like his father.  He grew up in Ur of the Chaldees. We know that like his father before him, Abraham was an idol worshipper.  We don’t know any more details but we can guess that he was part of the popular religion of the region. The great Ziggurat of Ur, (Which is a little bit like a pyramid) was built to worship the moon God Nanaa.  The moon was the basis for their calendar, its phases symbolized the life cycle of birth life and death. Among the God’s of the area Nanaa was supreme because the moon was the source of fertility for crops, herds and families.
We don’t know what if anything Abraham knew about God when God spoke to him, But God appeared and God spoke and he told the idol worshipper to trust in God. Abraham was to pick up all he had; his family, his herds, and his servants and follow the Lord. In order to do that he would have to leave everything behind, including his religion.  It is the kind of decision that a lesser man (like me) would have considered carefully for months or years.  Not Abraham.
God said, “GO” and Abraham said “OK.”  What faith! What trust! I am one who values security, having a plan and a backup plan, knowing where I am going, and have a plan for when I get there, having a  little cushion in the savings account,  … you know what I mean. I am not a huge risk taker… but Abraham… Abraham calls me to not just believe in God with my mind, but to trust God with my life. He reminds me that sometimes God calls us to take a risk. Abraham was not planning on a word from God let alone a trip. God’s call came out of the clear blue sky…or in Abraham’s case I guess it was a dark starry sky. Abraham trusted God enough to say “Let’s go God.” “Here I am send me.”  That’s the way I want my faith to be.
Jesus said come follow me, and he meant now.
Jesus called Zacchaeus to come out of that tree and he did not mean tomorrow.
Jesus told the rich young ruler to go sell all he had… not some, but all.
Jesus said take up your cross and follow me.
I could be the patron saint of wanting to play it safe. But that is not what God expects. Abraham reminds me that God requires trust, complete trust. Abraham challenges me to be better than I am. Maybe Abraham challenges you too.

 I have also selected St. Brigid. Sometimes incorrectly called “Bridget” Brigid was new to me. But what she teaches is not. I like her story and I wanted to remind us that there are many women saints in our lives too. 
St. Brigid is a canonized saint of the Roman Catholic Church.  She was born in Ireland in 451 or 452 AD a contemporary of St. Patrick. Like Abraham, her father was not Christian.  Druidism is complicated because it is so diverse, but they often worship nature or trees. Stonehenge may have been a druid place of worship. Suffice it to say then, that Brigid was not born into a Christian family.
When she was young, she gave her life to God and became a nun. Soon she was named an Abbess, the leader of the Abbey in which she lived with the other nuns.  When she was consecrated as Abbess, the local bishop accidently used the service for consecrating a bishop rather than a nun.  It is particularly funny because she turned out to have more influence than some of the bishops under whom she served.
Brigid is known for her generosity, which seems appropriate on this Sunday before consecration Sunday. That’s what I admire bout Brigid.  She had an extraordinary generous love and she experienced great blessing. She gave away her mother’s butter, but when she prayed the churn was filled again. (You see the butter churn in the background of her picture.) Any presents given to her, were given to the poor, no matter what the original giver intended.  She sold furniture and anything that could be moved—even the holy vessels and vestments–to provide for the poor.  Her generosity inspired others.
And the best part is she never ran out of thing to give. It seems she gave and it was replaced, she gave and more appeared. She gave and she was blessed
Brigid reminds us of the importance of generosity. But she also teaches us that generosity is a blessing. Maybe you won’t get your butter back, but when you are generous you will find that the discipline of giving brings such satisfaction that you will want to give more and even more...  You all know the satisfaction of saying to yourself, “I was part of that.”
Brigid reminds me that giving is its own reward, but seeing the fruit of that giving whether it is the beautiful building remodeling, or the ingathering kits, or the fruit of ministry here is a special bonus reward because we get to say “I was part f that.”  I will remember Brigid when I complete my estimate of giving card next Sunday. I’d like to be more like her.

 The third saints I want to lift up are brothers and they have names you will recognize. John and Charles Wesley. Though they were different, I want to treat them together.
John and Charles were Anglican priests in a time when the Church of England was pretty stale.  The mid 1700’s was the industrial revolution. Culture was changing quickly and the church and faith were in many people’s minds in the margins of life. (Kind of like today)
One turning point even before John’s life changing experience at Aldersgate, was returning to England from Georgia (in the US) after failing at being a missionary to the Native Americans, John realized that he didn’t have real faith to share. “I went to Georgia to convert the indians, (sic) but woe, who shall convert me?”
John and Charles were not satisfied with faith on the margins. They put their faith and their relationship with the church squarely in the middle of their lives. The heartwarming at Aldersgate made faith personal. They started the holy Clubs. They got up at 4am to read scripture and pray. They created bands and classes to help others put their faith in the center of their lives. This became the Methodist movement and eventually the United Methodist church.
It is easy to let our faith slip to the side. It is easy to let many things get in the way of our relationship with God.  John and Charles taught us that a faith of the margins is not enough.  It takes practice, commitment, sacrifice, and intentional discipline to keep our faith front and center in our lives. I don’t know that I will ever get up at 4 am to read the bible for 2 hours, but I admire a man like John who can. I admire a man like Charles who has the discipline and gift to write 6000 hymns. (All of today’s hymns are written by Charles.) I admire a man like John who made the sacrifice to travel a quarter million miles in his lifetime… on horseback… in the 1700’s and still have the energy to preach 40,000 sermons. If am real generous with my math, maybe I’ll get to 3,000 in my career. 
John and Charles teach us about commitment to the gospel and disciplined discipleship. So they are two of the saints who make me who I am as a disciple of Jesus, and indeed make us we are as United Methodists.

 Finally, does anyone recognize this saint?  Doesn’t the name Evan Tallman mean anything to you?  No?   That’s OK he was my high school Sunday school teacher. Evan is one of a handful of people in those early days of my faith and my call to ministry who were a special encouragement, trusted advisors, and examples of what it means to be a disciple.
Perhaps your Sunday school teacher had a different name bet many of you have a Sunday school teacher who was a saint in your life
Evan taught me that faith is shown in love.  We came to class every week, like most teenagers, with our minds everywhere but Evan still loved us. He showed his love by listening and sharing and caring and by time we were done somehow he snuck in a lesson without us even noticing. With his unwavering love, he loved us into relationship with God.
Think back to your Sunday school teachers, which ones have been the biggest influences in your life.  They are saints to you.

 Abraham: faith as trust
Brigid: faith as generosity
The Wesleys: faith as discipline
Even: faith as love.
These are some of the saints that made me who I am.
On whose shoulders do you stand? Which saints have made a difference to you? Maybe they are from biblical times, ancient history, recent history, or even today.  They might be sitting here today. They might be long gone. Who are the saints who have shaped who you are as a disciple?
Be ready to name some of them out loud during this prayer.  I won’t try to pass the mic so shout loud and if you can’t hear give thanks for the saints in your life.


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